7) The remains of la Primera Obra/ the First Fort Constructed all that is left of the first or provisional fort can be seen. This was built in the beginning of the 16th century at the same time the tower was erected. All that can be seen now is the shape of 3 chambers (two small and 1 large) within the outline. The cannons laying inside the remains are not from the original fort. They were all removed over the years, probably sold for their iron.

+click image to enlarge - The remains of the first fort.

This is a picture of the Fortaleza Ozama as seen from Rio Ozama in 1910. This is before they made the road around the Colonial City, Avenida George Washington, and put up the stronger walls for safety for the road. +click the image to enter the picture collection of Fortaleza Ozama.

8) The Old Army Barracks When Spain sent a strong battalion around 1789 new and stronger quarters were built along Calle Las Damas. The old surrounding wall, dated around the 16th century, was integrated with the new parallel wall. The remains of the second wall can still be seen. These walls supported the roof of the barracks.

+click image to enlarge The remains of the old barracks.

9) The Fort of Santiago/ Fuerte de Santiago was the first line of defense for the Fortress. It was built with stone and brick in 1567. The original sentry house/ garita ozama is still there, four arches and a small part of the original floor. Inside the fort you can block out the surroundings and really imagine what it might have been like in the late 1500's.

10) Casa de Bastidas/ House of Bastidas was built next to the Tower of Homage/ Torre del Homenaje in the early 16th (XVI) century around 1505. This 3 thousand square meter home has beautiful arches, a large patio and a long corridor along with Roman columns. Rodrigo de Bastidas, who was Honorary Mayor/ Alcalde Ordinario of Santo Domingo in 1512 and the founder of many different South American cities. After his tragic death in Cuba his son Bishop Rodrigo de Bastidas and his grandson lived in the house that was occupied by the family heirs for more than a century.

The building was redone and updated in the eighteenth century (XVIII) when a small image of the virgin Santa Barbara was added. Now is is beautifully restored bringing back, for all to see, the marvelous times of colonial Santo Domingo. It is not the home of the Museo Infantil Trampolín.

11) Muralla de Felix Benito

There are 2 different walls surrounding the Fort. The inside wall is the original wall that bordered on the Rio Ozama and the Caribbean Sea, as you can see in the picture on the left dated 1910. The waters edge came very close to the old walls. This wall is not as thick as the interior walls. If there was an explosion the wall would fall outward to the river restricting the possible damage. The second wall built when the port was put in is to keep the water from the river out.

The higher, newer wall dates only to the time of Trujillo. This wall was constructed by the Puerto Rican Félix Benito. The purpose of the wall was to separate the fort from the newly constructed port facility. The road on the outside of this tall wall was made from river fill when they dredged the Rio Ozama to create the access road around the old city and to create new larger port facilities. Much of the old structures were lost in the creating of the port and the road Aveneda George Washington also known as the Malecon.

+click to enlarge

In this picture you can see both the old and new walls that surround the Fortaleza Ozama at the lower shooting platform.

Learn Spanish Today! Fast and easy. Try it out for free. You will be able to speak complete sentences in no time. Great resource for learning Spanish in your home, for Teachers and Home Schoolers as well.